Ever wondered why some words can make you snort milk through your nose or why little kids love to run around yelling certain others?

A pair of University of Alberta researchers say they害羞草研究所檝e analyzed what it is that make some words intrinsically funny.

害羞草研究所淣obody has really done a good job at predicting humour in advance,害羞草研究所� said University of Alberta psychologist Chris Westbury. 害羞草研究所淥ne of the reasons is they haven害羞草研究所檛 been willing to go low enough.害羞草研究所�

Westbury is co-author of a recently published paper entitled 害羞草研究所淲riggly, Squiffy, Lummox, and Boobs: What Makes Some Words Funny害羞草研究所� in the Journal of Experimental Psychology. His research may be the first to break down what makes us break down.

Like all great science, it builds on previous research.

Under the previous federal government, Westbury said a drought in science funding left him free to do something wacky.

害羞草研究所淚 thought people would think I was wasting their money if I did this on their dime.害羞草研究所�

He害羞草研究所檇 noticed that people often laugh at silly-sounding non-words, so he went looking for patterns. Garble like 害羞草研究所渟nunkoople,害羞草研究所� for example, was more apt to draw a smile than something like 害羞草研究所渪-attack.害羞草研究所�

On the strength of that research, he was sent a British paper to review that used statistical analysis to rank the funniness of nearly 5,000 words. Cutting-edge stuff, thought Westbury, but why were those words funny?

Westerbury害羞草研究所檚 27-page paper presents a 2,500-year literature review of philosophical attempts to get the joke. It may be the only academic paper that cites both Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, author of the book 害羞草研究所淔ear and Trembling,害羞草研究所� and Broadway playwright Neil Simon, who gave us 害羞草研究所淭he Odd Couple.害羞草研究所�

But nobody has really succeeded, Westbury holds. 害羞草研究所淣one of those theories are really theories. They害羞草研究所檙e explanations.害羞草研究所�

He wanted to be able to predict what people would find funny. To do that, he and colleague Geoff Hollis decided to focus on the most basic kind of humour.

害羞草研究所淪ingle words? It害羞草研究所檚 not really that funny, but even though it害羞草研究所檚 not that funny, it害羞草研究所檚 really complex.害羞草研究所�

What makes a word funny, he found, is a combination of two factors 害羞草研究所� sound and meaning.

Using sophisticated statistical analysis of three billion words worth of prose on Google, they found words likely to get a laugh tend to be associated with sex, bodily functions, good times, animals and insults.

But that害羞草研究所檚 not enough. They have to sound funny, too.

The 10 funniest words in English from a sample of nearly 45,000?

Upchuck, bubby, boff, wriggly, yaps, giggle, cooch, guffaw, puffball and jiggly.

The Canadian Press

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